Chickens vs ducks ???

[fogbubble]

Some duck eggs have a smell while cooking, depending on what the birds have been eating. More foraging and wild foods = more smell. I don't think it's a "bad" smell, just not something you notice with chicken eggs. My husband says they smell like shrimp.

Shannon

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
Really? Mine could sort of fly when they were juveniles (they couldn't get very high off the ground, and couldn't go more than...say 10 feet), before they filled out, but none of them can fly now. My Runner drake tries - but it never ends well.

 

[srsmith69]

I'd take a duck egg over a chicken egg any day. Scrambled or over easy duck eggs are more flavorful.

 

[pringle]

Quote:
I'm not sure about co-existing with chickens, but none of the domestic breeds of duck fly EXCEPT Muscovies, Hookbills, Calls, Australian Spotteds, and (correct me if I'm wrong) Black East Indies.

Which doesn't really matter because, for egg production, you'd want to go with an Indian Runner or a Campbell, which can outlay many breeds of chickens (and neither of which fly).

And I LOVE my duck eggs. I do a lot of cooking and baking, and duck eggs are a bit more oily than chicken eggs, they're thicker, and have bigger yolks. I especially like to use them in cheesecakes and quiches - or just fried with toast for breakfast!

Dont forget mallards they sure can fly all right thats why I clip 1 of there wings once a month.

 

[Wifezilla]

Ducks are awesome. I have Welsh Harlequins and one runner. GREAT egg laying breeds and they can't fly worth a darn. If they jump they can get a couple of feet of the ground, but they don't stay up in the air long

 

[frisco94]

I have a Khaki Campbell hen....She's great....An egg every day......takes a day off every once in a while. The egg shells are VERY hard, but the eggs have never smelled bad when cooking. I mix in my 2 ducks with my 7 chickens.....same coop and same run.....they all get along very well.......I have NH Reds / Red Stars / Brown Leghorns. If you want a duck for eggs, go with the Khaki Campbell.......JA

 

[pascopol]

Duck and goose eggs are unsurpassed for baking, dough will raise much higher, and finished product is more fluffy and flavorful than if chicken eggs were used.

The only downside of ducks eggs is, they contain more cholesterol (if you care about it) comparing to chicken eggs.

If you are cholesterol concious use quail eggs. I like coturnix eggs better than chicken eggs flavor wise.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

i'll be the odd man out... i'd start with hens. only b/c ducks can be REALLY wet. if they dont have enough room they may destroy the run in a different way then chickens.

however, wow our muscovies are really self sufficient. when the pond isnt frozen they are mostly on their own.. they dont really eat a lot of bagged food, they fly a little, and they are a joy to watch. the mommas with babies are penned and cooped at nite (as are all of them during the winter) and they do a great job of keeping the flies down. there is nothing cuter than a baby duck chasing a fly
;-)

but

they really create a lot of mud. you'll need a way to clean out your pond. we had to dump our kiddie pool a couple times a day - or we scooped it all up and used it to water the plants (great nutrients!).

or there is always geese
;-)

 

[Wifezilla]

The only downside of ducks eggs is, they contain more cholesterol (if you care about it) comparing to chicken eggs.

Since cholesterol is NOT the cause of heart disease or obesity, this isn't even a factor.

http://weeksmd.com/?p=485​

 

[Amyable]

Ohiofarmgirl, do your ducks free range during the day then? No problems with predation? I want to put ducks on our backyard pond, but it's kinda big and I don't want to fence the whole thing. Or have the lawn consistantly poop-smeared.